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Parent Category: Advertisement

Created on Tuesday, 06 January 2009 15:11

Last Updated on Sunday, 21 December 2014 18:29

Testimonials of Relevant Persons:

• Export.gov,
• Brian Johnson, Managing Partner of Verge Technologies,
• Prof. Dr. Andreas Pott, Institute for Migrational and Intercultural Studies, University Osnabrück,
• Prof. Barbara John, former Foreigners Commissioner of Berlin,
• Stephen Paul Kershaw
• Fiona Kump,
• Charles M. Taylor,
• Vreemdelingenrecht.com,
• Alan Garvie, Co-Owner of the Bookshop "East of Eaden",
• Joseph Doswell,
• Pension Sprachschule Maria Shipley,
• Sexy 'n' Sweet Julie,
• Property In Retirement

State.Gov – U.S. Government supporting American Companies Exporting

By its own initiative, the U.S. refers to LG2G as a source for legal research. Thanks Uncle Sam!

Verge Technologies, LLC

1985 Twin Sun Circle
Walled Lake, MI 48390

Subject: Obtaining reliable information for companies doing business in Germany

I had a chance to view your "Legal Guide" website and was favorably impressed. This is no casual interest on my part, since lack of comprehensive information of this type constitutes a major obstacle to confidently doing business.

There are several online guides I have used in the past, for example “Expatica's” and they all suffer from one or more deficiencies. Usually this involves their lack of specific relevant detail and references for further information. The information posted by both the US and German foreign services is of a very general nature without sufficient direction for authoritative answers. As a newcomer myself, I can assure you that reliable information on everyday legal, business and assorted bureaucratic issues is hard to locate – and none available in one resource.

Several items that have been of particular interest to me include:

• Business organizational forms and related law,
• Banking, tariffs, import/export, employment law, property, leases & utilities, and other general "border-line" legal/political/bureaucratic issues,
• Personal relocation issues, family, visas, etc.
• What external (local, federal) resources exist for quick research and general answers to common licensing and bureaucratic requirements?
• For a website: a functional format of presentation, including a means for displaying changing law and other requirements

While researching information necessary for my business, I have discovered a range of online information and services from government trade programs and chambers of commerce to expensive consulting companies. These offer some initial generic materials, targeted no doubt, for advertising further more expensive detailed information. Online guides are sometimes a type of "white paper" that functions more as a sales tool for demonstrating the need for further professional services. That is certainly not a bad approach, as many of the larger consulting firms' successful practice would indicate.

I believe that a thorough review of available sources that currently provide components of this information would be worthwhile in constructing a competitive alternative. There are many “public-domain” resources from which “free”, but incomplete information can be procured. Should that information be reviewed for general accuracy and legal compliance, a compilation into one source would constitute a value-added product. Such a new resource when coupled with expert legal advice should be cost-effective to assemble. It could be made available at a reasonable retail price as well, structured on free resources and a fee structure for premium services and consultation.

These are some initial thoughts, although I could elaborate upon other functional and business requirements that I would appreciate in such a service and site.

I extend my encouragement to your endeavors in this and project and offer what assistance I may be able to provide in the future.

Sincerely,
Brian Johnson, Managing Partner
Verge Technologies

Institute for Migrational and Intercultural Studies, University Osnabrück,

Your plans to develop this guide sound interesting and are important!

Prof. Dr. Andreas Pott

Preface of Prof. Barbara John to the 1st Edition of book The Legal Guide to Living in Germany

This guide is sincerely needed. Those, who are already residing in Ger­many, know why. In finding a job or an apartment, a foreigner is already well armed using the skills acquired at home. However, in subsequently trying to get a residence permit and additionally a work permit, that will give him or her the feeling of being set off on a different planet. It is said, that Germany has the highest density of regulations and laws of the whole world. All Germans suffer under this abundance, even those who invent, implement and control this nightmare of (bilateral and multilateral) conventions, decrees, implementing ordinances, laws, statutes, etc. All governments promise to clear out the legal jungle that has grown over more than a century, but it usually turns out like this: by the time ten old regulations have been abolished, 12 new ones will have been created in the meantime, some of them just to regulate the abolition in an orderly way; e.g. the reform of shop’s opening hours. Still a few years ago shops were only allowed to be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and now for two more hours a day. However, per extra decree for each single event, shops will be allowed to open longer in the event of happenings, of fairs, holidays, etc.

Of course, one could endlessly caricaturise the German’s irresistible desire to regulate. This could be amusing, however, foreigners need security in the sense that they can be assured of being able to live and to work in accordance with German law, as there is a reward for people who comply with all the requirements: they become entitled to the social and the legal system.

Although I am extending a warm welcome to newcomers, this gesture will not help as much as the reading of this book, in order to cope successfully with everyday life in Germany. Those who left Germany because they finally gave up, should seek a second chance.

Prof. Barbara John
Berlin, February 2003
(Former) Foreigners Commissioner of Berlin Senate

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Stephen Paul Kershaw

Sony Pictures Entertainment Corp

Executive Production Management

Reason for adding contact:
Hi Alexander,

I noticed you visited my profile, so in turn I visited yours. Could you tell me where I could find a copy of the Legal guide to Germany? That seems something essential for any home office/book shelf.

By the way, I find your website's honesty refreshing. That is rare.

-steve in the Publisher's guestbook on Xing

Fiona Klomp

an excellant concept - congratulations

on LinkedIn

Charles M. Taylor

The Guide is excellent and I recommend it to clients as they think about European expansion.

With all best wishes.

Charly

Charles M. Taylor, Esquire
Charles M. Taylor, PC
Honorary Consul General of Germany a.D.

Vreemdelingenrecht.com

Hello Alexander,
I noticed your website Legal guide to Germany on LinkedIn and I am going to mention that on my weblog about Dutch immigration law. As you maybe know in The Netherlands the so called "Europe-route" is discovered by the lawyers. For family reunification residence permits, the foreign partner has to pass a Dutch exam and the Dutch partner has to earn enough and steady income. But because of the European rules on free movement of people, lawyers discovered that it can be an idea that the Dutch partner moves to a neighboring country. Most people head to Belgium because of the common language and the fact that in Belgium no integration course is required but for some people Germany can be a better idea (a friend of mine had 2 clients living next to the border). But not many people know their way to and in Germany, so I think your website can be of great help.

Kind regards,
Wytzia

East of Eden

This is a book for anyone living or working (or planning to live and work) for a time in Germany. Packed full of easy to understand, clear answers to every imaginable legal question. With detailed information on legal issues from Entry and Residency Permits, Labour Laws, Taxation, through to statutory legal costs and dual citizenship. This is the first book of its kind published in English by a German Attorney-at-Law and has been badly needed by all of us who have struggled for years with German bureaucracy and legal terms as long as the queues at the Ausländerbehörde!

Alan Garvie

East of Eden Bookshop, Berlin-Friedrichshain

Maria Shipley of Pension Sprachschule

Being an expat family member, but also a repat at the same time, I am often consulted about legal matters in Germany such as prolonging a visa.

Read more in her very interesting blog!

Sexy'n'SweetJulie

Hya Al,
Thank you for your advice. I see that you offer much helpful advice to the people on the site, and that is really wonderful for those of us unsure of the German/American transition issues.

Take care

sexynsweet_Julie

Joseph Doswell

His comment in the publisher's guestbook on Xing:

The Legal Guide to Germany is an excellent resource of information.
Thank you!
Joe

Property In Retirement

Hello,

I see that the LG2G website gives really useful information for retiring abroad. We have created a public interest website at www.PropertyInRetirement.co.uk focused on choosing the right retirement property option for you, which I thought may be of interest to your visitors.

Louise Clare
PropertyInRetirement

Matthew Muszak

Country Contact for Warsaw, Poland on behalf of American Citizens Abroad

Gee, I wish we had such for Poland!